Georges de la Tour (1593-1652)

If you saw Le Divorce you might be aware of this artist. He’s of the Baroque period, painting from the Duchy of Lorraine. His father a baker and mother from a minor noble family, de la Tour was the second child of seven, born in Vic-sur-Seille.

While he is clearly a caraviggisti (meaning of the style of Caravaggio), it’s possible he acquired his style from the Utrecht School. When looking at his work juxtaposed with other Dutch artists, there some similarities. I’m going to be honest and admit that he first caught my attention when I recently watched The Little Mermaid for the billionth time.

When Ariel is singing “Part of Your World” in her secret cavern, her line about fire and burning, she is singing to a De La Tour called Magdalene with the smoking flame. I should also note for those of you who read The Da Vinci Code that Mr. Dan Brown got it wrong when his character Langdon called it the Penitent Magdalene.

Also, the Magdalene with the smoking flame isn’t in Ariel’s grotto but in the Louvre. I loved this painting because the glow of the candle just illuminates the small scene and emphasizes the concentration on her face. I can see why Dan Brown mistakenly called it penitent. She is obviously in a state of undress. And I somewhat remember the skull as a symbol of mortality. Is she contemplating her own mortality or Jesus’?

What draws me to Georges de la Tour’s work is this dramatic lighting (i.e. tenebrism) that is so characteristic of Caravaggio. Additionally, the word tenebrism is the word that cost me my spot in the regional spelling bee I was in in 8th grade.

The drama paired with the use of color which is so strong, the paintings seem to actually glow. What also draws me to him is his subject matter. While Wikipedia would say that he was a religious painter (which he definitely was during the later years of his life), his paintings of cheats are what make me chuckle. The painting aptly titled The Cheat has a sister in a museum in Texas. But I was struck by the center figure’s facial expression while playing a game of cards.

I feel like the French interest in all things from the mysterious orient is shown here in the headdresses the women wear in this painting. There are four figures. On the far left, the obvious cheater is holding his cards in his right hand, while his left slyly pulls the aces from his belt. A handmaiden is the next figure, handing the central figure a glass of wine and perhaps whispering to her mistress of his duplicity.

In the center, an obvious noble woman, in a mustard colored velvet dress with extreme full sleeves and red/gold headdress looks out of the corner of her eye with suspicion while the figure on the far right is obviously oblivious to the situation while he scrutinizes his hand. The folds of the fabric are so beautifully done and I feel like I could feel them if I just reached out to touch them. But mostly I just find her facial expression hilarious.

Tragically, Georges de la Tour and family perished in 1652 in an epidemic in Luneville.